At this time of year we’re all looking for food ideas, especially the period after Christmas day. The time when all the excess provisions are screaming at you from the refrigerator, “for feck sake cook me or throw me out,” there really is a need for some inspiration…

Being something of a foodie (see here), I usually get stuff to cook (or cook with) at Christmas time and this year was no different. I missed out on the usual cook books (thankfully), I already have a comprehensive collection of titles from noteworthy chefs such as Jamie Oliver, James Martin, Rick Stein, Gordon Ramsay and The Hairy Bikers. That’s before I even consider all the Indian, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, Far Eastern and even American cookery tomes that make up my culinary library. A veritable cosmopolitan collection of world cooking information and guidance, if I say it myself.

As dinner on Christmas Day was courtesy of friends this year, there were actually very few leftovers, excepting the vegetables that is. A large box of organic veg from http://www.riverford.co.uk/ had also found its way into the collection of gifts and, short of turning vegetarian until well into 2011 some thought was required to utilise it all. Time to turn into a Soup Kitchen proprietor me thinks…

Finally (thanks to soups), the vegetables came to an end and, as most recipes these days aren’t totally original, I expect similar ones will be really available via google. Failing that you could always try Recipes for ‘500 Soups’.

MAN with PAN

Another unusual but interesting and useful gift was the Man with Pan Recipe cards, humourous but also practical… 50 idiot-proof recipe cards for men with great intentions but a knack for burning the trifle; boiling the gazpacho or over-egging their puddings!